With Respect to the State's Response to Defendant's Motion for Sanctions Against State Attorney's Office for Discovery Violations on 29 March 2013.

The STATE'S RESPONSE TO DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR DISCOVERY VIOLATIONS, while pointed, has little substance that addresses the very serious motion we have before the Court.

From a legal perspective, the Zimmerman case is about whether George Zimmerman acted in self-defense, but we understand that the case has also become important to the national conversation about race relations, about gun control, and about “Stand Your Ground” laws. Although the Court will not be able to resolve these larger issues, we as the defense team, have chosen to engage in the national conversation in a responsible and respectful way.

George Zimmerman was arrested under an extraordinary set of circumstances, and he is being prosecuted under similar circumstances. As we prepare for a jury trial in June, we have real concerns about George’s ability to receive a fair trial. The DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR DISCOVERY VIOLATIONS is not a frivolous attack on the prosecution, it is a serious attempt to seek remedy for discovery violations that have a substantial impact on our ability to defend George.

What is at stake is George Zimmerman’s right to a fair trial, and in a broader sense, what is at stake is the sanctity of the criminal justice system and its ability to function properly under the incredible public and political pressures that have been placed upon it.----------------------The state's response (below) includes the hand-written letter by Witness 8.